A special discussion is going on in the Parliament on the completion of 150 years of Vande Mataram and it was initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself. During the speech he returned to history, but in between his humor also continued. As soon as an opposition MP started speaking, PM Modi said smilingly, “Dada, are you well?” “Such moments come at this age.” With this sentence of his, the whole house was filled with laughter and the atmosphere became light.
The Prime Minister said that Vande Mataram written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay is not an ordinary song, but has been the heartbeat of the freedom movement. According to him, this song spread as the energy of patriotism in every corner of India. PM Modi honored it by calling it the inspiration of Indian spirit, national soul and freedom.
150 years journey
In his address, the Prime Minister linked the 150 years of Vande Mataram’s journey with many turning points in history. He said that when it had been 50 years, the country was stuck in the chains of British rule. On completion of 100 years, the country was facing emergency, when freedom of speech and democratic rights were banned. Patriots were thrown into jails and the importance of symbols like Vande Mataram became even deeper in that environment. Modi said that it was unfortunate that the same song which ignited the flame of freedom became a witness to the repressive era when it completed its hundred years.
Bankim Chandra’s response to resistance as poetry
The Prime Minister said that Vande Mataram was written in 1875 at a time when the British were increasing harshness on Indians after the rebellion of 1857. Efforts were going on to crush Indian culture, spirituality and national spirit. In this environment, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay chose the path of protest by writing Vande Mataram. Modi said that this song was a strong voice of Indian identity in the face of British oppression. A voice that gave courage to future generations to fight for freedom
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